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// On the ball partner training

by Sherri and Alex McMillan

In today’s time-poor society a market exists for personal trainers
who can enable clients to spend quality time with their friends or
loved ones while getting fit. Partner training enables this and is
financially beneficial to both parties, with the clients sharing costs,
and the trainer’s earning potential increasing. Multiplying your usual
training rate by 1.5 and dividing it by two, for example, is a good way
of establishing the per-client price of a partner training session.

Partner training is ideal for trainers who teach group training and
have limited budgets because many of the exercises are done in pairs,
meaning that only half the usual amount of equipment is needed. This
apparatus-efficiency is well illustrated by the following medicine ball
exercises, which will ensure that both partner training clients achieve
an incredibly effective workout, while socialising and having fun.

Set-up:
First client stands upright, holding the medicine ball over the head.
Abdominals should be kept contracted throughout the entire exercise
while squatting and throwing the ball to the floor so that it bounces
up towards their partner. The partner catches the ball and quickly
throws it back. Ensure both partners maintain good posture. Continue
for between 60 and 120 seconds.

Variation: Try moving partner around (i.e., slam the ball side to side).

Set-up:
Partners stand facing each other balancing on one leg. Keep abdominals
contracted, and the body erect and stable. Pass the ball back and forth
using a basketball chest pass. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds on each
leg.

Variation: Try hopping side to side, front and back while passing.

Set-up:
Partners lie on their backs feet-to-feet with about a foot distance
between each other. Knees should be extended as far as possible while
still keeping the lower back in contact with the floor. Both partners
slowly crunch up, lifting one vertebra at a time off the floor. At
about 30 degrees upwards clients will reach a ‘sticking point’ and feel
like they’ve hit a brick wall. At this point it’s important that you
encourage them to be patient and muscle through, using their abdominals
to overcome the resistance. Clients should not bounce or add momentum
with the upper body or lift their feet off the floor. When an almost
fully upright seated position is reached, the client with the ball
should throw it to their partner who should catch it while maintaining
perfect, stable posture. Both partners lower themselves to the starting
position, then repeat the throwing action vice versa. Continue for 30
to 90 seconds.
Tip: This is a more advanced
exercise, so if one partner cannot curl up with good form, try the
exercise on an inclined bench which enables the exercise to be
performed more easily.

Variation: The partner could stand and toss the ball from various angles/positions.

Set-up:
Partners stand inside a tennis court or a sectioned off area of about
that size. One partner holds the ball while standing at the top of the
court, and the other partner stands at the opposite end. One partner
rolls the ball quickly to various spots on the court for their partner
to run to, scoop the ball up and toss back to their partner before the
ball rolls outside of the court. Continue for 60 to 120 seconds.

Set-up:
Both partners stand side-by-side, upright on one leg. The abdominals
should be contracted throughout the entire drill. One partner holds the
medicine ball and both partners slowly bend/squat, the ball being
lowered to the floor. The first partner releases the ball and the
second partner picks it up, both of them returning to the starting
position. Repeat for 30 to 60 seconds on each leg.

Tip: If the floor is too low, try placing the ball on a bench or chair instead so that clients do not have to squat as low.

Set-up:
Partners kneel back-to-back, keeping abdominals contracted and
maintaining perfect posture. Slowly twist to one side and pass the ball
between partners. Return to the other side to retrieve the ball.
Continue for 30 to 90 seconds going one way and then repeat in the
other direction.

Variation: Standing.

PARTNER SHUFFLE DRILL (photo 7)

Set-up: Partners
stand facing each other. In unison, shuffle sideways for about three
metres in one direction while simultaneously tossing the medicine ball
back and forth between partners. Repeat, going in the opposite
direction. Continue for 60 to 120 seconds.

LUNGE & CHEST PASS TO PARTNER (photo 8)

Set-up:
Partners stand tall with perfect posture and face each other. One
client lunges forward, throwing the medicine ball to their partner
using a chest pass. The partner will catch the ball while performing a
backwards lunge. Repeat lunging forwards and backwards. Remind clients
to push off the front leg and be sure that while lunging their front
knee stays over their front foot. Continue for 30 to 60 seconds each
side.

Variation: Small step forward to deeper lunge progressions.

PARTNER SIDE SWING PASS (photo 9)

Set-up:
Partners stand side-by-side, just under a metre apart, maintaining
perfect posture and keeping the abdominals contracted throughout the
entire exercise. Arms should be kept straight and the ball swung from
the outside of one partner’s body to the inside and then tossed to
their partner. The outside leg will pivot as the body rotates. The
partner catches the ball and repeats the exercise. Continue for 30 to
90 seconds each side.

PARTNER SPRINT’N’ROLL (photo 10)

Set-up:
Partners stand side-by-side about a metre apart. One person rolls the
ball forwards on a diagonal so that it will intersect their partner’s
path. Both partners sprint forward, with the second partner catching up
to the ball and rolling it forward and diagonally into the first
partner’s path. Continue sprinting and rolling for 60 to 120 seconds.

SQUAT & GRANNY SHOT (photo 11)

Set-up:
Partners start by standing with feet placed wider than the hips and
feet turned out slightly. Squatting, the medicine ball is held out in
front of the body with arms straight to the ground. Posture is set by
contracting the abdominals, pressing the chest out and up and the
shoulders back and down. Start by squatting upwards while
simultaneously throwing the ball to the partner in a move similar to a
basketball ‘Granny shot’. The partner catches the ball and returns it
using the same technique. Continue for 60 to 120 seconds.

Set-up:
Partners sit on the floor about half a metre apart with their knees
bent. Sit upright with perfect posture and abdominals contracted
tightly throughout the entire exercise. One partner holds the medicine
ball into the chest, and both partners recline a few inches while
maintaining perfect posture. The position is held while both partners
rotate one way and then the other. The starting position is returned
to, and once upright, the ball is thrown between partners. Repeat the
exercise for 30 to 90 seconds.

Variation: Try facing the same direction and tossing the ball laterally to partner.

SQUAT & OVERHEAD PRESS THROW TO PARTNER (photo 13)

Set-up:
Partners stand 1.5 metres apart. Holding the medicine ball at chest
level and then using an overhead press, the ball is tossed between
partners. Partners stay square to each other, and when catching the
ball, they should do so in an overhead position. Encourage clients to
keep their abdominals contracted, chest out and up and their shoulders
back and down. Continue for 30 to 90 seconds.

Set-up:
This exercise requires a light medicine ball (1 to 2 kg) or a ball that
is not weighted. Partners stand facing each other, a few feet apart.
The ball is held up over the head. Both partners stand on one leg, back
neutral, abdominals contracted and slowly bend forward at the hips
keeping both legs extended. When both partners can go no lower without
bending their backs or knees, the ball is passed from one to the other
before both slowly return to the starting position. Continue for 30 to
90 seconds.

Variation: Progressions can include
ball passing at chest level, ball passing at level of head and ball
passing with arms extended overhead.

PARTNER LEG LOWERING & OVERHEAD PASS (photo 15)

Set-up:
Both partners lie on their backs head-to-head with their arms straight
up to the ceiling with enough space between them to allow hands to
potentially touch. One partner holds the medicine ball. Both partners
lift their legs up, bent at the knee and with their arms positioned
straight up to the ceiling. Legs should be positioned with a 90-degree
angle at the knees and hips so that upper thighs are perpendicular to
the floor and the lower legs are parallel to the floor. Abdominal
muscles should be tightened and the spine braced. Keeping the knees at
90•degrees, both partners slowly drop one heel towards the floor
(keeping the other leg still) while simultaneously dropping the arms
overhead. The ball is now passed. Both partners return the leg and arms
to the starting position and repeat with the other leg. Continue
passing the ball for 30 to 90 seconds.

Sherri McMillan, MExPhys & Alex McMillan, NASM
Sherri and Alex have been in the fitness industry for over 18 years and
were awarded the 2006 IDEA International Fitness Directors of the Year
and 2006 ACE Fitness Educators of the Year - First Runner Up. They are
the founders and owners of Northwest Personal Training and Fitness
Education in Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Alex and
Sherri have presented at conventions throughout the world, and authored
numerous articles and fitness books. They are spokespersons for Nike,
Nautilus, Twist Conditioning and PowerBar. Contact them via www.nwpersonaltraining.com